Parrish & Poetry: A Gift of Words and Art

by Laurence S. Cutler (Editor), Judy Goffman Cutler (Editor), Maxfield Parrish (Illustrator)

Maxfield Parrish's unmistakable paintings and illustrations captured the nation's imagination with their technical excellence and romantic quality and remain unrivaled to this day. Here, forty of Parrish's finest works are paired with poetic masterpieces: Sleeping Beauty and William Shakespeare's "Oh Mistress Mine, " The Canyon and Lord Byron's "She Walks in Beauty, " Dream Castles in the Sky and "The Splendor Falls" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. A brief biography of Parrish and a preface describing the relationships between the paintings and poems round out this immensely pleasurable offering.

Genres: Poetry, Art

95 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1995

Reviews

[Lori]

Maxfield Parrish is best known here in Rochester for Interlude (The Lute Players) , commissioned by George Eastman in 1922 for the new Eastman Theatre. The painting was eventually moved to the Memorial Art Gallery for preservation and a replica installed in its place.

Interlude was one of thirty-nine Parrish works chosen for this anthology to be accompanied by a poem. ("Mutability" by Wordsworth in this case.) According to the introduction, each poem was selected very carefully based on at least one of the following criteria: that it was one of Parrish's favorites or known inspirations; for the ambiance and imagery it evokes; it is a great classic and therefore well matched with Parrish's classical imagery; or it just simply fit. The Cutlers did a brilliant job and the book is truly an ode to traditional beauty that is both comforting and nostalgic.

[Minnie Romanovich]

Extremely compelling illustrations by Maxfield Parrish complement various poems. A classic.